2014 Ford Flex Owner Manual Printing 1 - Page 52

Supplementary Restraints System 51 WARNING: If the airbag has deployed, the airbag will not function again and must be replaced immediately. If the airbag is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a crash. The airbags are a supplemental restraint system and are designed to work with the safety belts to help protect the driver and right front passenger from certain upper body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly; there is a risk of injury from a deploying airbag. Note: You will hear a loud bang and see a cloud of harmless powdery residue if an airbag deploys. This is normal. The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly upon activation. After airbag deployment, it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery residue or smell the burnt propellant. This may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder (to lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (for example, baking soda) that result from the combustion process that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of sodium hydroxide may be present which may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of the residue is toxic. While the system is designed to help reduce serious injuries, contact with a deploying airbag may also cause abrasions or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also a possibility as a result of the noise associated with a deploying airbag. Because airbags must inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk of death or serious injuries, such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or internal injuries, particularly to occupants who are not properly restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of airbag deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly restrained as far away from the airbag module as possible while maintaining vehicle control. Routine maintenance of the airbags is not required. SOS POST-CRASH ALERT SYSTEM™ The system flashes the turn signal lamps and sounds the horn (intermittently) in the event of a serious impact that deploys an airbag equipped on your vehicle, such as front, side, side curtain or Safety Canopy®. The horn and lamps will turn off when: • the hazard control button is pressed • the panic button (if equipped) is pressed on the remote entry transmitter, or • your vehicle runs out of power. 2014 Flex (471) Owners Guide gf, 1st Printing, April 2013 USA (fus)